Exiled Home
by TheArchives
Summary: [SasuNaru] Based on some fanart I saw. Naruto is a Tengu cast out of his colony with selective amnesia. He is sent to his second home, Konoha, where his formerly favorite person, Uchiha Sasuke, lives.
1. Prologue and notes

**Outcast with a Home**

By: Sly Omi

Disclaimer: As pertaining to all chapters herein: I, Omi, do solemnly swear that I do not, have not, and will not ever own any claim to copyrights of Naruto, either in manga or anime form, or any merchandise thereof. I am writing this for fun, not with the intention to make money.

Raiting: PG, and unlikely to go up

Pairing(s): SasuNaru

Warning(s): You are reading this of your own free will. Ifyaoi or shounen-aioffends your sensibilites, turn ye back now. Failure to comply with this might result in your tender sensibilities being mortally offended, incurring mental trauma on your behalf. However, failure to comply with this also means that it's your own fault should that happen - I am morally obligated to do nothing about it other than laugh at you for not reading the warnings. Oh, and Sasuke plays the flute.

**This stuff is, in fact, very important - especially if you don't know what in God's name a 'Tengu' is. So please read it before you skip to the story itself. You will wind up being found in varying degrees of confusion if you don't. So I am putting the prologue of the story after the pertinent information. That is why I R sooooooo smrt!111!oneeleven XD**

* * *

_Some things to know about Tengu_

Tengu are mountain and forest goblins with both Shinto and Buddhist attributes. Their supernatural powers include shape-shifting into human or animal forms, the ability to speak to humans without moving their mouth, the magic of moving instantly from place to place without using their wings, and the sorcery to appear uninvited in the dreams of the living.

The patron of martial arts, the bird-like Tengu is a skilled warrior and mischief maker, especially prone to playing tricks on arrogant and vainglorious Buddhist priests, and to punishing those who willfully misuse knowledge and authority to gain fame or position. In bygone days, they also inflicted their punishments on vain and arrogant samurai warriors. They dislike braggarts, and those who corrupt the Dharma (law).

The literal meaning of Tengu is "Heaven Dog." In Chinese mythology, there is a related creature named Tien Kou, or "celestial hound." The name is misleading, however, as the crow-like Tengu looks nothing like a dog. One plausible theory is that the Chinese Tien Kou derived its name from a destructive meteor that hit China sometime in the 6th century BC. The tail of the falling body resembled that of a dog, hence the name and its initial association with destructive powers.

The Tengu has evolved in both appearance and purpose over the centuries. Originally portrayed as an evil crow-like creature with a man's body, a beaked face, a small compact head, feathered wings, and heavy claws, the Tengu has since evolved into a protective bird-like man-goblin with an uncommonly long nose, wearing a small monk hat, and oft-times sporting a red face. Patrons of the martial arts, Tengu are credited with extraordinary skills in sword fighting and weapon smithing. They sometimes serve as mentors in the art of war and strategy to humans they find worthy. Tengu live in colonies under the leadership of a single Tengu, who is served by messenger Tengu (usually Karasu). More mischievous than evil, the Tengu are hatched from eggs like birds.

* * *

_Some things to know about the story_

The following may or may not pertain immediately to the story, as the story is still being written. Some things will be mentioned _in_ the story itself, others are just here incase you have questions - or to keep in mind throughout the story.

A. Sasuke is the last survivor of the Uchiha clan; all of whom were killed by his brother, Itachi, after Itachi's meddling with magic severed his sanity. Sasuke was seven when it happened; now he's seventeen. He became withdrawn from society as much as possible, sending Iruka out for important errands and other servants for lesser things. Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino are two of the many young women hoping to gain his hand in marriage, and he despises them all. He hardly talks to anyone if he can avoid it, but often stays out late at night on his roof, hoping for a glimpse of what he thinks is an angel that once saved him from drowning.

B. Naruto was always a screw-up among the tengu. When a demon fox went on a rampage against the arrogant humans who destroyed his earthly home, shrine, and two kits, Naruto was newly hatched. Thus he was used as a vessel for sealing the kyuubi and is shunned by nearly all other tengu. (The Tengu don't have much of a concept of time. The kyuubi attack happened before Itachi was born, but Naruto would be considered 16 by human standards.) He spent most of his time wandering the woods around Konoha – a village renowned for producing brave samurai – because he senses the sadness permeating the village and wants to help the people. His favorite person there is Sasuke, whom he saved from drowning.

C. The legend of the Kyuubi Tengu is well known among the people of Leaf, though it's not written off as one. Most of the people who were alive when the kyuubi attacked them died during the attack, but those who escaped remember it well – including the sealing. What isn't known is what Tengu the kyuubi was sealed in, but there is a small shrine dedicated to him/her in thanks for saving them.

D. The adults of Konoha (the ones of political importance, at any rate) have had dealings with the Tengu for many, many years. They keep a special shrine to Tsunade for communication purposes – the messages going back and forth through Shizune. Jiraiya, Hiashi, Kakashi, and Gai are the only ones who recognize Naruto for what he is; his wings will sometimes appear as 'phantom' wings since Naruto generally doesn't use them to fly anyway. (Neji suspects that there's a reason why Hiashi allowed Naruto to stay with them, but doesn't really think about it.)

* * *

Prologue

There is a legend in Konohagakure, well known by all who have lived in the village from as far back as anyone can remember. It has been passed down in writing and story, and remarkably remains largely unchanged between the two forms. Children call for its tale at bedtime, adults reference it constantly to remind themselves of what they might well have lost - because there are yet those who know that the legend is no mere story, but a truthful recounting of what actually happened.

_Shortly after Konohagakure was first founded, its powerful Shogun brought it to the forefront of villages in Japan in power, prosperity, and reputation. The Shogun recognized quickly that their village had been founded in the realm of a colony of Tengu, and quickly set about making good relations with them, asking for their protection and guidance in their woods. The Tengu agreed in exchange for a promise of assured, constant humility on the part of the Samurai while in their realm. An easy balance of mischief and watchfulness ensued. Though a standing army was kept and young men trained in combat, the villagers who lived there knew of nothing but peace and security. Their happiness lasted many long years, until all forgot that there had ever been anything else._

_Until that peace was destroyed._

_A young man, formerly of the Uchiha clan - the most prestigious clan of Konohagakure - became obsessed with increasing his power. In his quest, he attempted to summon the Kyuubi no Kitsune - the Nine Tailed Fox - hoping to harness the demon's power for his own. Instead he unleashed a rage so great that all the best warriors, samurai and ninja alike, could not contain it._

_The people of Konoha called on their Tengu protectors, praying that they would look on them in mercy in their time of need. The Hokage heard their calls, and being fond of Konoha, she resolved to do what she could. She sent out many Guardians to help in the battle, despite the obvious uselessness of the gesture. The Kyuubi came after the Tengu colony soon thereafter. Houses were destroyed and Tengu maimed. The Hokage rallied her people and the remaining samurai of Konoha into a last battle to buy herself the time she needed to save them._

_Her only option was a hatchling. The Kyuubi, she knew, could not be destroyed ... but it could be sealed. She sent out her Karasu to find her a hatchling and was brought back a young Tengu with a shock of blonde hair like her own, and with a heavy heart she brought him to the battle-field. There she performed the seal that would trap the Kyuubi into his body. The black spiral marks stood out like a tattoo on his stomach - but he merely blinked calmly up at her._

_When the Hokage held the hatchling up to the crowd of warriors gathered, the hatchling smiled at them all. The humans of Konoha cheered for their child hero. The Tengu colonists averted their eyes and began to quietly pick up the pieces of their colony. Their eyes burned with a cold fire when they chanced to look at the little blonde hatchling and his bright baby-smile. The Hokage named the child Uzumaki Naruto for the spiral of the seal._

It was the first and last time Tengu and Humans came together in battle, but the people of Konoha were forever grateful to their Tengu protectors, and kept their woods free from harm and arrogance. A small shrine devoted to the Hokage had been erected many years before, but now there came to be a statue of the child who had saved their village by sacrificing his body. A new Shogun ascended to the throne, overseeing the repairs of Konoha. He took special care of both shrine and monument. Villagers noted that there was more of a cautious air in their home and in their woods, and acted accordingly.

But the most peculiar consequence of the war was the sudden appearance of a blonde child not two years later. Most often seen in the premises of the Uchiha compound, the child remained a mystery to all - for none could get close enough to him to see his face. He became known as the Forest Child, for he would slip away into the woods, and none could find him if he did not want them too. Yet no villager could bring themselves to be frightened of the Forest Child. And when Uchiha Itachi followed in his ancestors footsteps to become a wizard, driving himself insane and eventually slaughtering his whole clan, it was widely believed that it was the Forest Child who had saved Uchiha Sasuke - the last member of the prodigy clan of Konoha.


	2. Chapter One

**Outcast with a Home**

By: Sly Omi

Disclaimer: As pertaining to all chapters herein: I, Omi, do solemnly swear that I do not, have not, and will not ever own any claim to copyrights of Naruto, either in manga or anime form, or any merchandise thereof. I am writing this for fun, not with the intention to make money.

Raiting: PG, and unlikely to go up

Pairing(s): SasuNaru

Warning(s): You are reading this of your own free will. Ifyaoi or shounen-aioffends your sensibilites, turn ye back now. Failure to comply with this might result in your tender sensibilities being mortally offended, incurring mental trauma on your behalf. However, failure to comply with this also means that it's your own fault should that happen - I am morally obligated to do nothing about it other than laugh at you for not reading the warnings. Oh, and Sasuke plays the flute.

Note(s): Anything in italicsbetween colon marks (i.e.: ":_blahblah_:") is the Kyuubi talking to Naruto.

* * *

Chapter One

The room was dimly lit and the curtains drawn over the windows, casting shadows over all that were present – a fitting touch to the somber mood permeating it. On a dais at the end of the room sat Tsunade, Hokage leader of the Tengu colony of Fire Country.(1) Beside her, on a lower platform sat Shizune, her personal messenger, with her crow mask firmly in place. The beady eye-slits stared unforgivingly at the two boys before them. Below Shizune stood Izumo and Koutetsu, Tsunade's personal guards (whom Naruto often referred to as her personal slaves), their faces grim and their masks pushed aside.

Angry voices wafted up from the street below. Tsunade sighed and thought about all the places she could be that weren't her office, and all the things she could be doing that didn't involve angry colonists and Naruto. She could be bothering Jiraiya, for instance, or skipping work to drink sake. Instead she was presiding over the trial, of sorts, of her favorite subject. The unconscious figure lying on the floor didn't stir. A young guardian stood at attention by the sleeping boy's side.

"What happened, Lee?" Tsunade asked softly, her voice carrying easily in the large room.

"There was a great confrontation, Tsunade-sama," replied Rock Lee.(2) "One of the colonists ... he had had a bad day, or so I was told – too many Samurai trampling through his favorite woods without care for them. He ... provoked Naruto-kun. Insulted his Sires, and said that they should have killed him when he was still a hatchling, among other things."

Tsunade hissed softly and tensed. Shizune crooned to her, calmly. The Hokage settled back into her chair, her eyes narrowed dangerously, "What else?"

"Naruto-kun tried to ignore him – quite valiantly, I think – but the man hit him. The ..." he stumbled, not wanting to say the word everyone was thinking, "It ... nearly broke the seal. Naruto-kun has been a bit more high-strung this week than normal. It's nearly his birthday, you know."

"I know."

"He was stressed from trying not to let the taunts get to him – Shikamaru told me this. Naruto-kun couldn't handle it. It was a perfect opportunity. Naruto-kun worked himself into this exhaustion trying to keep himself and It under control."

"I see," Tsunade said quietly. She studied her nails, and the wall behind Rock Lee's head as if they held the answers. Of course they didn't. "The seal is weakening then. It must be put back together; this can't happen again."

"What is to be done?" Lee asked, almost hesitantly.

The angry shouting continued from outside, calling for the banishment of the demon from their otherwise peaceful home. Tsunade chewed on her bottom lip, a nervous habit that she would show to very few people, as she thought about what would become of her favorite guardian Tengu.

"He can't stay here now. The colonists will be more hostile than they are after the incident," said Izumo somberly.

"Tsunade-sama!" Lee cried, ready to jump over mountains for Naruto's defense.

The Hokage held up a hand swiftly. "He is right, Lee. But I will not simply cast Naruto into the middle of nowhere – Kyuubi-vessel or not. I will find a way to help him, to make the seal stronger so this will no longer be a danger."

"He can't stay here, Tsunade-sama," Koutetsu repeated.

"I believe that was just agreed upon," the blonde Tengu said testily.

"Wh ... where will he go, Tsunade-sama?" Lee asked tentatively.

Tsunade looked out the window through a divide in the curtains. To where Konohagakure was situated in Fire Country, some forty kilometers away from their colony. "He will stay at Konoha. It is his favorite place in the Human Realm, anyway. He will be safe there, and the people are friendly for the most part – they certainly won't provoke the Kyuubi."(3)

"But if he should attempt to come back ..." Koutetsu interjected. "Or if he should tell a human how to find us ..."

Tsunade's eyes were pained, "His memory of here will be erased." Lee gasped but she ignored it, pressing on, "Perhaps 'modified' is better. He will know Konoha's familiarity, but he won't know why. He will know his name, but not where he comes from. He will not remember the Kyuubi, not until I've found a solution and he can come back."

Shizune stood and intoned, "Our leader has spoken. Her word is final."

Rock Lee was silent. Tsunade came down from the dais and stood before them for a moment, letting the picture ingrain itself into her mind. Naruto looked so very peaceful, never mind that he was on a horrendously hard wooden floor. She smiled sadly and knelt before him, placing her hands on his head. Her eyes closed as she set to work on his mind, taking away his memories of his home and leaving a void in their place. She only hoped there would be a chance for him to get them back.(4)

_If not ..._ she thought, _perhaps he can be happy in Konoha ... at least for a little while._

When she was finished, Tsunade stood slowly and closed her eyes. She could hardly believe that this was happening. Naruto had always been her main source of entertainment. Noone in the colony was as good as he at keeping people on their toes. His pranks on the arrogant and annoying humans who tramped through their lands without a care were infamous ... The Hokage smirked sadly. She would miss those and the reports that followed. Life was about to get very, very ordinary.

_Poor Shikamaru and Chouji. They were such a good team._ "Koutetsu," the blonde ordered sharply, "Get Ibiki and Anko in here."

The karasu Tengu placed his mask on solemnly and bowed, already knowing exactly what he was to tell them. Anko and Ibiki were the only two guards Tsunade would entrust with Naruto's safe transport to Konoha. He left the room with a semi-dramatic flare.

The Hokage rolled her eyes, "Izumo. I leave it to you to report back to Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji. They will be working as a pair from now on."

The other didn't bother with his mask as he simply disappeared from the room. Lee stared down at the younger Tengu's form. Certainly, Naruto had caused more than a few of the colonists' grief – including himself – but to not see him everyday ... There was rarely change in the colony of immortals. The absence of Naruto would take a lot of getting used to.

"You can go now, Lee," Tsunade said gently, but firmly.

The guardian saluted and disappeared. The Hokage took her seat again wearily. Ibiki, Anko, and Koutetsu appeared in his place shortly afterwards. Koutetsu returned to his place at the foot of the dais, awaiting any further orders, and knowing fully well that he and Izumo would be doing nearly twice the paperwork for Tsunade while she brooded over losing her favorite Tengu. Both Anko and Ibiki properly serious and resolute for their task.

"You were briefed?" Tsunade asked, though there was an underlying statement to it. Formalities, really, the asking and replying. Something that was done because it was always done, and occasionally prevented annoying mis-communications – a single useful purpose.

"Yes," the guards replied simultaneously.

"Good. Take him, then. Quickly. He can't wake until he's by Konohagakure and you are gone. Jiraiya will recognize him once he's been picked up."

The big Tengu knelt and picked up the unconscious form. He cradled the child's body close to his chest. The shorter one readied her kunai and then they were gone.(5) Tsunade stared at the empty floor blankly, unsure of what to do with herself.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked. The karasu Tengu had stood and removed her mask while Tsunade hadn't been paying attention, it seemed. Now she was looking at her leader with a concerned face. Tsunade forced herself to smile. There was just too much wrong with this situation. The Kyuubi nearly broke free. Naruto was gone.

"Life is about to get very boring, Shizune," the Hokage murmured, her voice tired. Even so, her grin held a glint of mischievousness. "Funny, though. Konoha was so used to his presence as a Tengu – I wonder how they'll survive with him as a citizen."

* * *

Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko were silent as they flew. In Ibiki's arms was the still-unconscious form of Uzumaki Naruto; the legendary Kyuubi Tengu. She watched the blonde head thoughtfully out of the corner of her eye for a moment, dodging a stray tree branch absently. It was odd to think that such an innocent-looking person held such a dangerous creature. Even after many Human centuries, she still wasn't quite used to it.

"He will be better off in Konoha than back home, Anko," Ibiki said. "Especially now."

Anko started just a little, "Aa. I know. But still ... he's always been there. Everywhere at once. It's weird to think of him not being there at all."

"Indeed. He's always been an interesting kid, if not the brightest star in the sky."(6) The guard couldn't help but smirk, remembering various punishments that Naruto and his friends had devised for the arrogant samurai and braggarts they didn't like.

They always had produced the most effective results with persistently annoying humans, and their plots were always good for a laugh. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Naruto had made a very good team in that way. Naruto, like Chouji, wasn't a genius like Shikamaru – who knew and remembered just about everything and could think of 100 different ways to attack the same problem in a matter of minutes. Though, Anko amended, if pranks and planning them were taken into account when calculating intelligence, Naruto's genius would have rivaled Shikamaru's. Even so, he was a hard worker and had a way of brightening a room just by being in it. He refused to let anything get him down; his sunny disposition and smile were practically legendary.

"We're nearing the walls of Konoha," Ibiki noted.

"Aa."

They were silent for the final bit of their flight, which was fairly short. Soon they had landed in front of the imposing walls – imposing for humans, but even more-so for Tengu, who were generally shorter than humans by a head. Ibiki placed Naruto on the ground off the main path, taking care that he could still easily be seen.

"We're not taking him inside?" Anko asked quietly.

"No. We're to leave him outside of the gates. Tsunade-sama asserts that Jiraiya will recognize him instantly, but it will be suspicious if there is suddenly a blonde wandering around. He must be found by someone of the village."

"How long before someone comes, though? What if he wakes up before he is found and wanders off?"

Ibiki shrugged slightly, "Tsunade-sama has ordered such. It is likely she knows something that we don't."

"It's also likely that she was too lazy to set up a situation on her own," Anko muttered.

The bigger Tengu smirked, but said nothing. Instead he took to the air once more. "It's not for us to say. Tsunade-sama has her ways. Uzumaki Naruto is, I dare say, her favorite of all us. She had a hard enough time imposing banishment on him – she won't let harm come to him while it's in her power. Come. We can't be here when he wakes up."

"What happens if he wakes up alone?" Anko murmured to herself. But she followed Ibiki and took off, casting one last glance at the boy sprawled on the ground before turning and following her elder back to their colony.

* * *

It was cold. That was the first thing he registered. It was cold and dark. The dark he could mostly account for because his eyes were still closed, but the cold was out of place. It shouldn't be cold, not inside his house. No, not just his house – his whole home was warm throughout the seasons. Wasn't it?

_I couldn't have sworn I was always warm. ... I am still home ... aren't I?_

Naruto forced his eyes open and blinked, trying to get his bearings straight. The world slowly came into focus around him, and he found that he was staring at the slowly darkening sky through a canopy of trees.

_What the – !_

He sat up as quickly as humanly possible without getting whiplash. He leaned against the tree behind him. More trees and more grass and more plants in front of him. More to the left. Less to the right. The young blonde stood slowly, incase he'd been hit and knocked out by something. The sleeve of his white robes snagged on a low branch as he did so. The blonde frowned and lifted his hands so he could see the draping sleeves of his robes, and looked down to see the rest of the robes themselves.

_What the hell are these? What boy wears women's robes?_

Something tingled at the back of his mind, like he should know the answer to that question without having to ask it. And worse: standing only affirmed that he had been sleeping – he felt absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in any part of his body. He frowned, chewing on that mentally. What did it mean? Well, no matter right now. He was in the woods. He was in the woods at night. He **had** been sleeping outside.

_What the hell am I doing here? Where is here? Did I get lost! Why am I alone here!_ The boy wondered frantically, twisting his head around madly in an effort to see everything around him.

:_Okay, calm. We're going to look around and determine where we are and what we're doing. I'm sure we're just turned around._:(7)

Naruto sighed and took a few deep, calming breaths after that. Not that he knew what the second voice was or where it came from – he was just so used to it that he'd long ago stopped questioning it. Now he felt relieved knowing it was still there, because it had always been there. Too bad that he could only ever hear it in moments of extreme panic, which didn't happen to him very often. The voice's advice was sound and welcome, and now it presented a perfect starting point for him.

:_Okay. Let's see what we can see here._:

He started to take a good look around, trying to determine what was unique about the area that would serve as a landmark. Quite suddenly he stopped looking at anything, staring instead at the road not two feet from where he stood. He followed the path of the road left, and his vision stopped abruptly at the foot a two huge doors. Naruto gulped. Slowly, he lifted his head until he was looking at the top of the wall in which the doors were situated. He cringed and made a small noise of anxiety – he couldn't even tell if there were people up there it was so high. Nothing about it was familiar. Nothing about it said 'home' or comfort. It was a strange wall and a strange gate in a strange place that he'd never been to before. And he certainly hadn't come here on his own.

Naruto started to back away from the wall, off the road, back in the direction from which he had come. He turned forwards, the last part of his rational mind thinking, before he managed to run into a tree or something, and crashed through the forest.

He was alone. He'd been left and abandoned. He didn't know where he was – he didn't know how to get home from there! He had to get away. Right now.

:_Maybe doing that would have been better done on the road leading away from the wall, yes? _:

For once Naruto was so panicked that he hardly even heard the voice. Instinct took over and led him father and father into the forest surrounding the walls, to the point where he thought he'd been going in a straight line, but thought he recognized the tree to his left. That thought stopped the blonde boy dead in his tracks. He didn't know how long he'd been walking, or where. That was not a good sign. It was dark – early night – and colder than before. That was an even worse sign. Naruto knew he could have been going in circles, he could be miles away from the gates, he could be even more lost than he had been to begin with. Rationality crashed over him like a tsunami. He almost kicked himself.

_Now what do I do?_

:_Should have asked yourself that before you went stomping off, shouldn't you? _:

_Shut up,_ Naruto growled mentally.

Something snapped some branches to his right and the blonde jumped, spinning in the air so that he was facing that direction. His whole body tensed and slowly he started backing away – coming back to front with a tree, which he nearly froze against. The noises came closer to him and sounded like they were coming from all sides. The blonde looked left and right, trying to determine where whatever was making the noise was going to appear from. Suddenly a huge paw swiped down, narrowly missing his left side, and an angry roar blared in his ear. Naruto had walked straight into a bear's territory, and there were children.

_Fuck,_ Naruto thought, turning to run just as the paw came down again and sharp claws clipped his shoulder. He cried out in pain. Then he fled.

* * *

**Notes:**

(1) There is no such thing as a "Hokage" Tengu. This should be a given. Tsunade is the Hokage because she is the leader of the Tengu and I wanted to have more parallels between the anime and the fic.

(2) Suffixes. Stay. I know, I know, they have approximate equivalents in English, and dammit, I'm writing in English so how come I'm not using those? Simple. I don't wanna. Seriously. For one thing, suffixes denote speech patterns and politeness. Someone being insolent could refer to "Neji-sama" as "Neji-san" – "-sama" and "-san" meaning the same "Lord" or "sir", but "-san" being purposefully less polite. Likewise, "Sensei" means teacher. There's no way I'm writing "Teacher Kakashi", and the closest approximation is "master" – which does not imply the same thing from English to Japanese and vice-versa. Wakatte'ru ka?

(3) Before it becomes a huge problem, the names of countries (i.e.: Fire Country) will be in English. Reason being I don't remember the names in Japanese. Villages, however (i.e.: Konoha, Suna, etc.) will be in Japanese. Reason being I am not writing Hidden Village of Leaf or Leaf Village every time I want to write the name of a village.

(4) As a rule, there is nothing saying that Tengu have healing powers. There is nothing saying that they don't, either, and while I'm sure that the general consensus is that Tengu don't have healing powers – this is Tsunade we're talking about. She has her powers from the show; it's just not chakra. Technically Tsunade's giving Naruto selective amnesia, and amnesia is considered a 'health' problem.

(5) Don't give me that look – you all know what kunai are. They're those knives that the ninja's use when they're not using shuriken (otherwise known as "ninja stars").

(6) An absolute horrendous take off on the phrase "brightest crayon in the box" – because they didn't have crayons then, and I needed an analogy.

(7) Say it with me folks: Kyu-u-bi. Very good! No, Naruto is not insane – he does not have multiple personalities nor does he hear little aliens from Mars. The Kyuubi, being a part of him, can occasionally talk to him, or at him as the case were, in moments of heightened emotion. Naruto only sees it as moments of panic because it's only been in moments of panic that he's heard the Kyuubi before.


	3. Chapter Two

**Outcast with a Home**

By: Sly Omi

Disclaimer: As pertaining to all chapters herein: I, Omi, do solemnly swear that I do not, have not, and will not ever own any claim to copyrights of Naruto, either in manga or anime form, or any merchandise thereof. I am writing this for fun, not with the intention to make money.

Raiting: PG, and unlikely to go up

Pairing(s): SasuNaru

Warning(s): You are reading this of your own free will. If yaoi or shounen-ai offends your sensibilites, turn ye back now. Failure to comply with this might result in your tender sensibilities being mortally offended, incurring mental trauma on your behalf. However, failure to comply with this also means that it's your own fault should that happen - I am morally obligated to do nothing about it other than laugh at you for not reading the warnings. Oh, and Sasuke plays the flute.

* * *

Chapter Two

Neji sighed softly and resisted the urge to fidget on his horse admirably, as was his way. His ability to resist twitching was, and had always been, the envy of just about every child and adult in the village, though for completely different reasons. Children envied him because they were always caught by their parents as they fidgeted and squirmed impatiently, and were invariably scolded for it. Adults envied him because they wished their own children were as well behaved as he was – scolding their children as frequently as many did, they were rather embarrassed. Neji was a dignified boy by nature, and had not needed the constant scolding of his parents to discipline him – even before the death of his father.

Though he had not needed practice in discipline, he had gotten it anyway due to his position as the only son of the Hyuuga branch house. After his father's death Neji had been left with responsibilities that he would rather have been without. Responsibility itself was one thing, responsibility that brought him into contact with people on a regular basis was quite another, and yet it seemed that his life's work would be to deal with people just as his father had. Hence the reason he was returning from Sunagakure this very day, from a diplomatic mission to the Shogun Kankuro in the name of the Hyuuga house.(1)

It had taken them the better part of the week, traveling as slowly as they were, to reach the last leg of the trip – they had just reached the three mile mark to Konohagakure. The horse caravan rode on slowly, taking their time to return. There was no rush, after all, on such a beautiful day as this. It made Neji all the more restless. He preferred his feet to his horse any day, though riding was essential to his various missions. Even so, riding for extended periods of time was little more than a test of his patience. Besides, there were things to be done that weren't being done because of his absence.

Beside her young charge, Yuuhi Kurenai allowed the corners of her lips to turn up in a smile. She knew Neji was impatient and anxious to be back home no matter how much he tried to hide it. Or how good he was at hiding it.

"Neji-sama, we're approaching the gates," she said soothingly. "We'll have returned home before sunset, certainly."

Neji didn't turn to her, though his eyes flicked to his left in acknowledgment of her, "Aa."

"Don't be too excited, Neji-sama," Kurenai said, her voice lightly teasing.

As always Neji allowed her the insolence. She was his teacher and constant companion, after all, and not annoying like most girls in the village. He would rather talk to her than most people in Konoha – particularly because she didn't grovel like anyone else. Complaining about it would strip him of that.

"I'll try," he said solemnly.

Kurenai smiled, "I estimate an hour more due to our pace."

They rode on in silence for that hour, until at last the gates of Konoha could be seen down the road, growing slowly bigger on the horizon. Neji never ceased to be impressed by Kurenai's knowledge of their homeland – not that he would ever tell her that. He himself had guessed an hour and a half – but that could well have been his natural pessimism.

"Tell the men to ready the gates," Kurenai called to the man in front of her.

The man nodded and shouted to the two men riding at the front of the procession. The two servants promptly sped their horses in answer to the order. They rode at a quick trot until, Neji saw, they were less than twenty feet from the gates. He could hear them calling up to the guards at the top of the huge wall, and see the impressive gates move slowly open. Then his servants were waylaid by a sudden streak of blonde running in front of their path, causing the horses to start and rear up.

"Shit!"

"Woah!"

"Calm them! – Get that thing out of the way!"

The rest of the servants who had been riding in front of Neji and Kurenai (who were riding in the middle of the twelve others) rode quickly to the aide of their comrades. They jumped down from their horses, attempting to catch the reins of the scared animals before they threw off their riders. Kurenai had stopped her horse and was holding back Neji's, just incase the blonde thing had malicious intentions towards them. Neji strained his eyes to see what was going on in the chaos.

The streak of blonde turned out to be a small child, Neji saw, probably a girl, who had thrown her arms up to protect her head from the horses' hoofs and tried to back away. Being unable to see where she was going, she ended up tripping on a loose stone and fell backwards with a startled cry. After a second of shock she pushed her way back until she was sitting with her back pressed to the gate. Her eyes were wide and scared.

The two servants, having dismounted as soon as there was no imminent danger, shouted at the child in anger as they lead their horses away. One, satisfied that his horse was no threat to anyone, approached the girl with his sword drawn. Neji hissed and kicked his horse sharply and broke away from the rest of the party.

"Neji-sama!" Kurenai called out, "stop! You don't know if this is a trap!"

But Neji ignored her, riding quickly and coming to an abrupt stop between the servants and the child. "What is this?" he demanded, but held up his hand to prevent an answer. His voice was scathing, "Are you going to sever a child's head because she ran into the road unknowingly?"

The servant dropped his sword and fell into a low bow, groveling. The Hyuuga boy snorted at him and turned to face the girl, who had yet to pick herself up from the ground – rather, she had curled in on herself in an attempt to hide from them. Something about the sheer vulnerability she radiated struck a cord in Neji. He turned back to his servants, his eyes cold and glaring.

"Stay there. Do not interrupt us." He dismounted and knelt in front of the child. Behind his horse he could hear the murmurs of the servants as they moved back. _Probably wondering what I'm doing. Too bad I don't know myself,_ he sighed.

This close to the child, Neji could see clearly that this was no girl curled in on herself in pathetic defense, but a boy. A very pretty, very slender boy, wearing billowing white robes. Which explained why it was easy to mistake him for a girl, at least. There were grass stains on and slight tears in the robes, though there was not a single scratch to any part of his body that Neji could see, which he found odd and filed it away for later analyzing, but put aside in favor of more important questions.

"What were you doing running in front of horses, boy? Have you been hurt?" he asked sharply.

The blonde head moved, and suddenly two stunning blue eyes were peeking out from between tan-skinned arms. Neji sucked in a sharp breath. The hair color of the boy was unique on its own. But never before had he seen eyes that shade of blue. The combination of hair and eyes and tanned skin allowed the child an exotic appearance and an angelically innocent face – marred only by three whisker-like marks on each cheek. Absently Neji wondered where the boy had gotten those marks.

The boy didn't answer his question, though, staring up at Neji unblinking instead. Neji wondered if the boy were deaf – or perhaps he really was from another country and couldn't understand the language.

"Can you understand me?" the Hyuuga boy asked.

"... Your eyes are pretty." Neji's eyes widened and he stared at the child, absolutely flabbergasted. His eyes? Pretty! The Hyuuga clan were known for two things: their superior powers of observation and for their glassy, almost sliver colored eyes. But to most people the eyes of the Hyuuga clan only served to make its members more distinctive and odd, or scary even – they were never "pretty". Where in the name of the gods did this boy come from?

Though Neji himself didn't really care, that was probably the best place to start. It wasn't safe for anyone to be caught wandering around without a purpose these days. He narrowed his eyes just a little and asked sharply, "Where do you come from, boy?"

A look of confusion entered the boy's eyes. His arms slowly lowered to his sides, resting in the dirt in spite of the white robes he wore – Neji didn't miss the slight wince of pain, but didn't see any reason to be alarmed by it. His hands clutched at the loose fabric as if it would held him answer the question. Neji had to stop himself from turning his nose up. The boy's brow wrinkled, but his eyes remained blankly lost.

"I ... I don't ... know," he said at last, as if he were just discovering his lack of knowledge for himself.

For all Neji knew, he might have been. He raised an eyebrow nonetheless, his voice skeptical. "Don't know? Well then what are you doing here? Do you know what country you're in?"

The child picked up on his skepticism instantly, and his expression became strained. Almost as though he were desperate for someone to believe him. His mouth opened and closed, trying to come up with a 'real' answer, but it was clear he didn't know that, either.

"I ... I ... " the boy stopped, looking down at his lap. He shook his head. "No. I don't know. I woke up ... there," he pointed to the right side of the gates, "and I didn't know where I was. So I went off trying to find someone, 'cause I didn't see anyone up on the wall, but all I found was a bear who tried to eat me."

Neji's other eyebrow raised to join the first. Normal bears didn't attack humans unless they smelled food or were in danger. The boy, though seemingly oblivious to just about everything else around him, picked up on the skepticism right away and flushed prettily.

"I stumbled into its home accidentally. ... It must have thought I was a threat to its cubs."

That explained it. "And that's why you were running."

It was a statement, but the boy nodded anyway. Neji sighed, knowing what he was going to do next and mentally kicking himself for it. Damn this kid and damn his big blue eyes that got his protective side screaming. "What is your name, boy? Do you know it? Or should I pick one for you?"

"U ... Uzu ... maki. Uzumaki Naruto," the blonde said slowly. He nodded sharply, affirming that he did, in fact, know his name and was giving the right information.

"You know your name, but not where you are or why you're here?" Neji asked, surprised. He'd been fully prepared to find some name for the child, since the child didn't seem to know anything else.

The boy shrugged and pressed himself closer to the wall, as if expecting an attack. Instead Neji stepped back and gave the boy a bit more breathing room. He held out a hand.

"Come on, stand up."

Naruto looked at the hand extended to him for a moment. Then he slowly reached out his own and grasped it, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet by the black haired boy. They stood there, Naruto casting nervous glances at the servants and Neji staring at Naruto's eyes, for a moment. Naruto wondered suddenly if he could sit back down – he hadn't felt quite so dizzy then. The wound on his shoulder, which had been jarred and aggravated repeatedly since he'd gotten it, ached. He could feel the warmth of blood running down his back. The world wobbled and darkened around the edges of his vision.

Neji let go of Naruto's hand and turned away, walking towards his horse and calling over his shoulder, "You'll be coming with us. You were here for a reason, so I'll take you to the Shogun."

There was no reply, not even the sound of feet moving. The Hyuuga boy stopped, frowned, and turned back to face Naruto. The blonde boy swayed a little on his feet, and his eyes were glazed over. Suddenly Neji became aware of a slowly growing stain of red on the stark white robes – Naruto **had** been hurt in the incident with the bear. That explained the earlier wince, and once more Neji hadn't been observant enough to see that. He swore loudly in his head, all but leaping back to where he had left Naruto, and caught the boy just as his brilliant blue eyes fluttered closed and he started to fall.

"Shit," Neji breathed softly.

He cradled the limp form closer to his chest, reaching under Naruto's legs to get a better hold on him, as he straightened and turned back towards his men.(2) Naruto's blood slowly seeped through the cloth of the boys robes and Neji's hand was getting damp and sticky. "Kurenai!" he snapped.

The older woman rode up quickly, "Yes, Neji-sama?"

"Go and warn the medics. We will go to the hospice before we meet with Jiraiya-sama."

Kurenai nodded sharply and kicked her horse, cantering through the gates and heading straight for the medics of Konoha.

* * *

**Notes:**

(1) Yes, Kankuro, you saw right. I know, I know, Gaara is the Kazekage, but think about it; Jiraiya is acting as Shogun so who says Gaara gets to be Shogun? Besides, Temari wouldn't be allowed to lead the village – she's a woman and they weren't allowed to lead anything. Gaara is off being Gaara-like; and chances are he won't play much of a part in the story at all.

(2) Or, incase I didn't properly word it for a good-enough visual: BRIDAL STYLE. Hehehe. Neji and Naruto, sittin' in a tree ...


End file.
